Henky howsoist



H'. HowsoN.

Heat

ing Stove.

Patented Feb. 28, 1865Iv A y N. PETERS. PnnmLnlmgmpher. wnsnngmn. D. C4

Nirnn STATES PATENT firmen.

HENRY HOWSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STUART dtPETERSON, OF SAME PLAGE. j i

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-BURNING STOVES Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 46,605, dated February 28, 1865; antedated February 20, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY HowsoN, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Improvements in Gas-Burnin g Stoves; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

My improvements, which are fully described hereinafter, have beendesigned for the purpose of introducing in the fire-places of cylinderand other round stoves, immmediately above or on a level with `the uppersurface of the fuel, small jets of air in as cold a state as possible,the said jets being introduced through perforations arranged throughoutthe circumference ofthe stove, and being controlled by an annular plateor register which fits snugly to the stove, no matter how muchitsdimensions may vary, owing to variable expansion and contraction.

My improvements have also for their object the perfect control of thedraft below the grate lof the stove.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describeits construction and operation.

' O11 reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecication, Figure l is a vertical section of a cylinder-stove with myimprovement, Fig.' 2 a sectional plan view ot' the same, Fig. 3 avertical section of part of a cylinder-stove with a modification of myimprovement. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 repre sent further modifications ofthe invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Before describingmyimprovementsitmay be well to remark that they arebased upon what is now generally acknowledged to be a factnamely, thatin order to effectually consume the gases and smoke evolved from theburning fuel in stoves and furnaces it is necessary in the firstinstance to obtain a brisk fire by means of a draft from below, so thatt-he gases may be in a properly heated andignitible state, and then tointroduce small jets of air in as cold a state as possible above or nearthe surface of the'fuel, so that a plentiful sup-v ply of oxygen may beintimately mixed with theignitible products of combustion and consumethe same, the once popular error that vchambers should be used forheating the air prior to introducing it in the form of jets into thefire-place above the fuel being discarded. On reference toFigs. l and2of the annexed drawings,A represents the portion of the casin gof acylinder-stove above the fire-place, and B the portion of the casingwhich incloses the re-place, or which surrounds the nre-brick cylinderD. The two portions A and B of the casing are connected together by theinclined annular plate E, entirely round which extends one or moreannular rows of small perforations.

On this annular plate Erests another plato, F, (or,.as it maybe moreproperly termed, a damper or rcgister,) of an inclined form,corresponding with that of the plate E, this register F havingperforations corresponding inform, number, and arrangement with thoie inthe plate E.

G is the usual grate, and H the ashbox, which projects beyond thecylinder B, the top of the projecting portion being in the presertinstance slightly inclined, as seen in thevdrawings, or it may be level.In the top ofthe project-ing portion ofthe ash-box is a circular openingbounded by a perforated or notched annular flange, e, the opening beingbeveled so as to be larger above than below, and being arranged for thereception of the circular register, I, which is beveled at the edges tosuit the opening, and which has perforations corresponding with those ofthe flange c. The cylinder of the stove has the ordinary doorway throughWhich the fuel is introduced into the fire-place,and the usual exitlopening, b, for the passage of the products of combustion to thechimney.

In kindling the tire in the first instance, the annular plate orregister F should be so turned -that no air can pass through theperforations in the plate F, and a plentiful supply of air should bepermitted to pass through the grate from below either by removing theregister I or turning the same until its perforations coincide withthose of the iiange e.

When'a brisk re has been kindled and the gases evolved from the fuel areheated toa degree proper for ignition, the register F is moved so thatits perforations coincide or nearly coincide with those of the beveledplate E, when the jets of air will, owing to the draft, pass through thenumerous small holes, in the direction of the arrows, toward the lexit-opening, and, becoming mixed `with the gases and smoke, will igniteand consume the same. When the air has free access through theperforations in the register F, the

draft from below may be partly cut oft' by turning the register I, inwhich case thejets of air will, owing to the diminution of thedraft,take a course nearly to the center of the stove before they rise towardth'c exit-opening, and thus become thoroughly intermixcd with theignitible products of combustion. It willbe seen that the external airhas to pass'through two thin plates only before it gains access to thefire-place,and consequently that it is in a cooler state and containsmore oxygen (which is the gas-igniting and smokeconsuming element) thanwhen the air is introduced into a hot chamber or into heateddistributing rings before itrcachesthe lireplace. Y

I am aware that perforated plates or registers have been heretofore usedin connection with cooking-stoves, and that they have been so arrangedthat the external air,before it can gain access to the fire-place abovethe fuel,has to pass through two plates only; but I` am not aware thatan annular pei forated plate or reg-- ister has been heretofore soarranged in connection with a cylinder-stove between the top ot' thefireplace and sheet-iron casing that jets ot' air can be admitteddirectly to the space above or near the level of the fuel throughperforations arranged entirely or nearly entirely round the cylinder.

It will be evident that there must of necessity be a difference in thetemperature of the perforated plateE and that of the plate F, and thatthis difference of temperature must vary accordin g to the condition ofthe fire in the stove. The plate E, being exposed to the direct actionof the fire, will expand more rapidly than the annular plate F, and thelatter would 4be constantly liable to fracture from this cause were itnot for the inclination of both plates, this inclination being such thatthe moment the plate E begins to expand it will cause the annular plateF to rise, while it still remains, owing to its gravity, in closecontact with the plate E, and insures a tight or a comparatively tightjoint. When the plate E, through the reduction of the heat of the fuel,begins to contract, the plate F will fall to a limited extent, or, inother words, the plate F will readily accommodate itself to thedifference inthe contraction and expansion of the two plates.

In order that any change in the position of Y the register F on theplate E may not interfere with the free passage of air through theperforations, those of one plate may be made slightlyl larger than thoseof the other. The plate E may be made of cast-iron and the sheetiron'casings A and B fitted to the same; or the casin g B, or even theentire casing ofthe stove, may be made of cast-iron in one piece withlthe plate E, and the clay fire-pot may be dispensed with, if desired.

It will be. evidentthat the plates E and F admit ofbeing highlyornamented, and can be thus made to add to the beauty and finish of thi'stove.

[t will also be evident that the annular plate F can be made to fitperfectly tight to the plate E by grinding the two together'with sand oremery and by the aid of suitable machinery.

In the modifica-tion illustrated by Fig. 3 the stove is contracted at apoint just above the tire-place by an angular and annular recess, theinclined annular and perforated plate E and annular perforated registerF being retained, or the stove may be still further modiiied byintroducing a second perforated register, i, into the interior of thestove, so as to rest on the inclined recess h, formed by the annular andangular indentation. This arrangement is preferable in one-respect,namely, that of insuring a more thorough mixture of the external airwith the gases evolved from the fuel than the arrangement firstdescribed. So much ofthe smoke and gases as may not be ignited andconsumed by the air passing through the lower perforations will, onpassing the contracted space between the points x x expand laterally'and meet the jets of air pass ing through the upper perforations, theflame caused by this admixture licking the interior ofthe casing A andincreasing the heat of the stove. i

It will, of course, be understood that the annular perforated registerF, in Fig. 3, must be made in two or more pieces, connected to-v getherafter they have been adjusted to their proper position.

It will now be seen that the object aimed at, and, it is believed, fullyattained, is the introduction of numerous small jets of air in as cold astate as possible to the fire-place of a cylinder-stove above or nearlyon a level with the surface of the fuel in the same, and theintroduction ofthese jets at as many points as possible and throughoutthe entire circumference of the stove; also, to obtain perfect controlof these jets of air by the use of a perforated annular plateorregister, the movement of which will insure the instantaneousintroduction of the jets to the fire-place or the simultaneous closingof the perforations; also, to insure the permanence and tight littin gof the register by its own gravity against the perforated plate E,

no'matter how the diameters of the two may vary, owing to the differencebetwen the extent of their expansion and contraction. These readilyunderstood without description.

races Important results can also be attained by the modification seen inFig. 5, which will be In this case, however, the jets of air have topass in contact with heated surfaces for a short distance before theycan reach the tire-place, and therefore the modication is so farobjectionable.

A perfectly iiat annular perforated register nay be used in the mannerseen in Figs. 6 and 7, its own weight maintaining it in sufficientlyclose contact with the plate E.

The objection, however, above mentioned, in reference to Fig. 5, holdsgood in this instance, and there is this further objection that a fiatannular register is apt to warp, and, consequently, the air n ould havea tendency to pass through the perfor-ations when not required to do so,whereas the inclined annular register possesses Within itself, owin g toits form, that element of rigidity and strength which resists alltendency to warp and alter its form when exposed to differenttemperatures.

It is important in all stoves that the draft from below should admit ofbeing controlled with that accuracy which cannot be attained by theordinary doors and sliding dampers, the tting of which is generally soimperfect that more or less space is presented through which more airthan necessary can pass.

It will be seen that the beveled damper I by its own Weight maintainsits proper position in tight contact with the beveled opening of theash-pit, and that by turning this damper the amount of air admittedbelow the grate m 1y be regulated with the greatest nicety.

Diselaiming the introduction of jets of air unto the tire-place of astove or furnace above the fuel in the same, I claim as my invention 1nddesire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An annular perforated plate, E,arranged on or forming a part of a round 0r cylinder stove at or nearthe upper part of the fireplace, in combination with an annularperforated plate or register, F, when the latter, as well as theregister, are so for-med and so adapted to each other that anydifference in the expansion or contraction of the register and platecannot impair the former or disturb its tendency to tit by its ownweight on the plate E.

2. An inclined plate, E, formed by the annular indentation of the stoveimmediately above the fire-place, in combination with an annularperforated plate or register, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6.

3. Two circular and indented or beveled surfaces, formed by contractingthe body of the stove, in combination with two annular perforatedregisters, one above and the other below the; point contracted, as seenin Fig. 3.

4. In combination with the ash-box, the beveled damper I, With itsperforations or notches, when the said damper is adapted to the beveledopening of the ash-pit, and its notches or perforations, substantiallyas set forth, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, HENRY HOWSON. Witnesses:

JOHN WHITE, W. J. R. DELANY.

